Barnfield Homes Development, Redhill, Surrey

An inspector has ruled that three terraced houses may be built on a corner bungalow plot in a quiet residential street in Redhill, Surrey.  The Barnfield Homes development was initially turned down but the site’s context was carefully considered in the decision which overturned the planning refusal.  

Visibility splays, parking, traffic speeds and site gradient were some of the obstacles overcome by the Motion transport planning team.

Concerns had been raised over the steep gradient and close proximity of parking spaces to a nearby junction.  To address issues raised by the county council, the scheme’s access and parking arrangements were revised.  Since vehicles tend to travel into a junction at very low speeds, the inspector concluded that a speed survey would not be necessary to support the proposals.

Practical argument helped to win the appeal with local circumstances taken into account.  Sylvan Way mainly serves residents of the street and as a result has negligible traffic flows.  Vehicles turning into Sylvan Way from the adjoining road tend do so at low speeds.  Manual for Streets 1 standards acknowledge that visibility splays can be reduced where traffic speeds are low.

“Motion’s involvement is often the turning point between refusal and approval.  The team thoroughly reviewed the proposals and made relevant arguments to support the development at Redhill.  Their input was essential.”

Emily Hall, Senior Planner at WS Planning and Architecture

Image credit: © Graham Rix